Twilight
by Lacey
Summary: In ancient Egypt, Scarab and a lady meet for a twilight rendezvous. Updated! Chapter 3 added! The Queen mourns for her son and her lover.
1. Twilight

**Author's Note:** Y'know the drill. Mummies Alive is property of DIC Entertainment. About this story, short, I know and well, what can I say? I'm such a romantic at heart. I doubt there will be a sequel, but if the creativity demons start telling me otherwise, I'll get to work on one. Enjoy! 

**Twilight**

Cool night night settled over the desert, a welcome relief from the boiling heat of the day. Stepping into the courtyard, Scarab smiled, his breath forming a fine mist in front of him. Twisted shadows danced across the walls, and in their midst, Scarab saw her. 

Her back was to Scarab as she stared off to the west, witnessing Ra's last struggles to rise above the night. Scarab slid his arm around her waist and she leaned against him, providing Scarab with the perfect vantage to admire her beauty which he had already marveled at many times before. "I wonder Scarab, is it possible that one day Ra shall lose and not rise again upon the morrow?" 

Scarab's cheek brushed lightly against her silken hair as he breathed in the scent of jasmine that always clung to her. "Ra's victory is foreordained, my desert bloom. He shall always rise over the night no matter how much the night tries to undermine His power. He shall always rise anew." 

Gods! What Scarab wouldn't give to truly possess this woman! And she also, he knew, wished fervently that they could be together. Yet another had chosen her and kept them from truly being together. No crueler twist of fate could ever have existed. 

For the next few days they could be together, at least. Her husband was away. A breeze stroked the two, whispering of the wonders that the night held. "Kiss me, Scarab," the woman murmured. 

Scarab turned her towards him and brushed his lips lightly against hers. "As my Queen commands," he breathed. 


	2. Evening Delight

**Author's Note: **I know I said I had no plans for a sequel in the first chapter, but the blasted creativity demons just wouldn't shut up. Well, if I keep this story going, expect it to bounce between times. Hopefully the connections will be kind of obvious. ^_~ Anyway, Mummies Alive is property of DIC Entertainment. 

**Evening Delight**

Amanda Carnavon stared out the open window of her second-story office. Although she didn't have the greatest view in the world, she'd always loved what she could see, especially at night. The soft city lights seemed soft and surreal; the traffic noise was distant. Amanda spared the wall clock the briefest of glances. Good. Time to go. 

Amanda gathered her purse and coat before stepping out into the darkened halls of the museum. A small primeval part of her psyche declared her the master of this bit of territory. The museum was Amanda's in a way that few others could claim. She involved herself so thoroughly in setting up the exhibits that to claim that they were other than her's would almost be a sin. She could not brood on her possessive nature tonight though. She had a gentleman to meet with who could not be kept waiting. 

A smile played across Amanda's lips at the thought of her friend. He'd been there to hold her through all of the troubling times with Paul. She did love Paul, but she no longer thought of him as The One. Their marriage had been plagued with troubles almost from the start. Thank God she'd found someone who held her through the difficult times, whom she could always find comfort in. 

Amanda had been just starting out at the museum when she'd met her charming benefactor. He was suave and cultured, always soft-spoken. He always knew what he wanted from life and went for it, the exact opposite of Paul, who followed his fancies. She'd never meant for their relationship to become sexual, but it had. That first night together was treasured as one of her most precious memories. Had it really been fifteen years ago? 

Working late that night so that she wouldn't have to go home and deal with Paul, Amanda had been startled by a polite rapping at her office door. She quickly let him in, of course. He was not to be kept waiting. She'd assumed that he wanted to discuss the exhibit on the Mayans that she'd been working on, but instead he surprised her with a take-out Chinese supper by candlelight. Ok, so maybe it wasn't the most romantic scenario in the world, but the wine had gone to Amanda's head. One thing led to another, and they'd made delicious love amongst the aroma of sweet and sour chicken. He'd proven her theory that older men were far better in bed than younger by being able to push all the right buttons with the familiarity of a man with whom she'd done this kind of thing with for years. 

The moon shone full and bright overhead as Amanda stepped out of the museum. Amanda loved the moon - its carressing beams were gentle and soothing. _'Funny how the sun, so bold and brash, is often considered male while the gentle moon is most often thought of as a woman,'_ Amanda mused. In her mind, the moon was most definitely female, a mysterious magical thing which spoke to all women in a silent language all its own. 

_'Where is he?'_ Amanda thought with a faint twinge of annoyance as she looked around. Almost immediately, the soft pad-pad of expensive leather shoes on concrete sounded behind her. Amanda laughed and turned, melting in her lover's warm familiar embrace. She would never understand how he was always able to come up behind her without her noticing, but the trick was always a delight. "Good evening, Harris," she murmured, laying her cheek against his chest. 


	3. Morning Grief

Author's Note: Well, surely by now we all know that MA belongs to DIC. Oh, and since the queen was never named on the show, I've named her Shinoba because I like how it sounds. Maybe one day I'll hunt around and see if I can't scrounge up the actual name of Amenhotep's wife. 

**Morning Grief**

Queen Shinoba watched dispassionately as the priests laid out the body of her son. She couldn't let herself feel anything now, couldn't dwell on how small and fragile the body looked, couldn't think about how the child appeared to merely be sleeping and might awaken at any moment as the dawn's light fell across his face; if she did, she would go crazy with grief. 

Kneeling down beside the body, Shinoba studied its serene face. It - that's what it was, never full of life, never a person. Don't think about the child's zest for life, those beautiful green eyes brimming with laughter. That's not her perfect little boy laying there awaiting the death ceremonies. This has to be happening to someone else. Two perfect crystalline tracks slid down Shinoba's cheeks. 

"My fault," Shinoba breathed. "All my fault." If only she hadn't been so determined to keep her secrets. If only she had told Scarab her suspicions. Then he wouldn't have done this, would he? No, Scarab wouldn't have murdered the boy if he'd suspected what she did, that Rapses was his son. 

Shinoba stood alone amongst the priest and the bodies, wrapping her grief around her like an armor. None dared approach her. She mourned not only for her son and his guardians, though. Last night, as Amenhotep had tried to offer her solace in their bed, he'd told her his plans for Scarab. Entombed alive - Shinoba could think of no worse punishment. And for herself - to lose the two she loved the most - her heart shrivelled in her chest at the thought. Shinoba didn't know how she could endure without Rapses to hold or Scarab to hold her. 

The bodies again drew Shinoba's gaze. She wanted to flee from them, but where would she go? Out to watch Amenhotep carry out Scarab's sentence? Rage built up inside Shinoba. For Scarab to take away one of her dearest treasures was one thing, but now for Amenhotep to take away the other... Why was this necessary? Imprisoning Scarab wouldn't bring back Rapses! 

Footsteps echoed off of the cold, unfeeling marble, and Shinoba stiffened as she felt herself drawn into an unwelcome embrace. She wanted to jerk away, to scratch and claw and fight, to release her pent up anger and frustration. Instead, though, Shinoba merely continued to gaze at her son's body until she was sure that Amenhotep's attention was also on Rapses, then she turned to look at her husband. "It should have been you," she hissed. 


End file.
